Akathist to Our Lady of Kazan

How to read the akathist?

After submitting the names, download and read the text of the Akathist to Our Lady «of Kazan» in Russian, English, or listen to it online weekly according to the schedule at your chosen hour of prayer. To begin the prayer with the Akathist, you can say, "Bless me, Lord!" In the final prayer of the Akathist, mention the submitted names in any place that fits the meaning ("help us…," "do not leave us…," etc.). After completing the prayer, you can thank God and ask for help in your own words.

Prayer During War

Every person on the planet desires peace and does not want war. Yet, the Lord permits bloodshed. It is only during times of war that we often turn to prayer, and this is because of our sins. Most of the time, these are sins we are unaware of, sins from which we cannot yet repent. Such deep spiritual flaws can only be healed through suffering, no matter how painful and sorrowful it may be. And from this suffering, a sincere prayer is born, asking for the end of the war.

So, how can we learn to respond correctly when severe calamities, beyond our control, invade our lives? There is only one answer: to turn to the Creator for help, for with Him all things are possible! But how can we lift our eyes to the One we have clearly rejected, as He resorts to the final measure—war—to awaken us? The answer is simple: we must pray for peace to His Most Pure Mother, stretching out our hands and pouring out our bleeding hearts to Her! The Most Holy cannot remain indifferent to our suffering souls; She will hear our prayer to prevent war and will beseech Her Son and God to show mercy, bring peace to all who are in conflict, grant repentance and correction to us all, end the war, and grant us peace, prolonging the days of our lives and those of our loved ones, so that we may live not in indulgence of our flesh (in comfort and entertainment) but in seeking and fulfilling His will.

Prayer for Russia

The miraculous icon of the Kazan Mother of God, which appeared in the city of Kazan in 1579, has truly become the Defender of our homeland from all enemy plots and invasions due to the many miracles performed through Her. Under Her blessing, with prayers for the salvation of Russia, the militia of Minin and Pozharsky expelled the enemy from our country during the great turmoil of 1612. But this enemy is not only found in foreign figures; it also resides within ourselves when we give it power over our souls. We must expel the spiritual enemy from among us, which is only possible through the intercession of the Most Holy Queen, into whose hands we entrust our souls, the souls of our loved ones, and our beloved country.

For many years, the Orthodox faithful in Bolgar have been praying the Akathist to the Kazan Mother of God for the well-being of our homeland, for its rebirth and prosperity. Let us believe that by gathering as one in communal prayer, we can beseech the Most Pure Theotokos to implore Her Son to have mercy on us. Feeling our duty, helping each other through participation, and fulfilling the Lord's command to pray together in agreement, let us pray with all our hearts for Russia—a name that stands before the Lord as Holy Rus!